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OVERVIEW ON SAVUTE UNDER CANVAS IN SAVUTE
Savute Under Canvas is carefully positioned at exclusive semi-permanent campsites in the expansive Savute Corner of central Chobe National Park, offering exceptional game viewing opportunities. Booked on a nightly basis, each of the five comfortable tents has a double bed as well as an en-suite bathroom, separate w.c. and steaming hot bucket shower. Guests share their experiences over a pre-dinner drink in the lamplight of the comfortable guest areas. Delicious home-cooked meals are enjoyed around a blazing fire. Savute Under Canvas is closed annually from September to March.
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Location Of Savute Under Canvas
Savute, a remote and wild corner of the Chobe National Park, is situated south of the Chobe River. This is an area of open savanna grassland through which a seasonal river used to spill out into a marsh. It last flowed in the 1980s. Today, the channel and marsh are usually dry except after heavy rains, but several artificial waterholes offer breathtaking wildlife viewing. The landscape of Savute, with its almost desert-like feeling, is strikingly different from the lush Chobe riverfront. Sizable numbers of elephant bulls are invariably present at Savute and close encounters with these great pachyderms are commonplace. In the wet season, large herds of zebra and tsessebe feed on the Savute plains. During the summer rains, the pans of Savute fill with water, which sustains wildlife long into the dry season. Zebra and wildebeest congregate and it is not uncommon to catch sight of leopard, cheetah and African wild dog. Savute also supports the greatest concentration of the king of all beasts – the lion. Savute is also a famous battleground for lion and spotted hyena whose ongoing fight for dominance has been captured in the brilliant National Geographic documentary film Eternal Enemies.
Unlike the lush riverine thickets that surround the Chobe River, the landscape around Savute is strikingly different, with an arid, almost desert-like feel. Mopane forest gives way to acacia savanna, with rocky outcrops dotted around the area. Large areas of marshland that extended from the Linyanti River have dried up along with the Savute River, but several artificial watering holes attract a high concentration of wildlife. Large numbers of elephant can be seen in the area, while lion and spotted hyena vie for dominance in the region. In the wet season, large herds of zebra and tsessebe graze on the wide open plains. The drier season, from June to October, is a good time to see bull elephant gather around the watering holes, although other game may migrate to others areas of the Chobe. Eland, kudu, roan, sable, waterbuck, wildebeest, impala and many other antelope, as well as numerous predators, including leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox may also be encountered in the Savute area. Birdwatching in the Savute area is best in the wet season, when flocks of birds are attracted to the small amounts of standing water that gather after heavy rains. Flocks of the beautiful little carmine bee-eaters mingle with gatherings of storks, while other species include rollers, kestrels, plovers and sand grouse. The kori bustard, notable for being the world’s heaviest flying bird, is commonly spotted in the area.
Safari Experience At Savute Under Canvas
Savute is particularly well known for its high concentration of lion, as well as for its dramatic predator interactions. The Savute lions are famed for having adapted to hunting elephant, not generally considered common prey for they cats. A power struggle for the position of dominant predator has also been documented between the lions and the area’s large clans of hyena. The African wild dog, one of the continent’s most endangered carnivores, also thrives in the area. Like the remainder of the Chobe National Park, Savute has large numbers of elephant, which are attracted to the many artificial water sources. During the drier season, elephant bulls dominate the water holes, while breeding herds may move to areas where water is more readily found. Such herds rely upon their matriarch to lead them to the best feeding and water sites, with individuals seldom straying from each other and ready to come to the aid of a family member who is in trouble. The region is also rich in antelope, with common species such as impala and kudu encountered alongside giants such as the eland. Waterbuck may be spotted in areas with thicker vegetation, and guests may be lucky enough to catch sight of the aristocratic line of the roan and the sable.
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Activities At Savute Under Canvas
Twice daily game drives – explore the mopane forests and acacia savanna of Savute on early morning and late afternoon game drives in an open air safari vehicle accompanied by an armed guide. In the wet season, game drives traverse the open plains, where large herds of zebra and tsessebe can be spotted. Birdwatchers can marvel at the flocks of birds drawn to the pools of water that remain after heavy rains. In the drier season, game viewing is particularly good around watering holes, which attract large numbers of elephant
Summary For Savute Under Canvas
- Diverse and unspoiled Botswana wilderness
- Close interaction with wildlife
- Savute’s best private wilderness campsites
- Accommodation available on a nightly basis
- Spacious, well-appointed en-suite tents
- Fully serviced wilderness camping
- Delicious Pan African meals
- 6 guests per vehicle
- Specially modified 4×4 safari vehicles
- Accompanied throughout by an expert guide
- Savute Under Canvas introduces guests to the natural wilderness highlights of Savute, a famous corner of Chobe National Park. This Park encompasses 11 700 km2 of wilderness, buffered on all sides by wildlife management areas and forest reserves allowing for the free movement of game. A wildlife enthusiast’s dream, Chobe National Park is one of the top wilderness reserves in the world and is home to the largest single concentration of elephant.
- As per National Park vehicle restrictions, it is not possible for guests to self-drive into our Savute Under Canvas camps. There are scheduled flights from Maun or Kasane airport to the Savute airstrip, where a guide will collect guests and transfer them to camp (1 hour with game viewing en route).
- Spacious, comfortable mobile tents, each with twin or double bed, en suite bathroom, flush w.c., and al fresco bucket shower (hot water delivered upon request).
- The lodge is not fenced off, and we request guests to be extremely vigilant at all times. Under no circumstances is a guest to walk around the lodge/camp at night, unless accompanied by a security guard.
- The guest areas comprise comfortable tents for dining, meeting for a pre-dinner drink, or just for whiling the time away between safaris with a good book and frosted beer or glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Complete with welcoming camp staff, delicious Pan African meals and traditional bush dinners are served under the stars.
- Morning and afternoon game drives in semi-open 4×4 safari vehicles with guaranteed window seats and uninterrupted views.
- Savute Under Canvas is regrettably not suitable for children younger than 12 years.
